Bobbin-orienting apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for rearranging bobbins as the bobbins are received from a spinning machine in a disoriented mass and delivering them to a bobbin preparatory unit or the like with their enlarged base ends first. The apparatus includes a tiltable tray to which the bobbins are delivered with their base ends pointed in either direction longitudinally of the tray but with one end of the bobbin projecting beyond one end of the tray, means for tilting the tray to elevate said one end thereof to a position in which a bobbin resting on the tray would slide therefrom, and a pair of pins positioned in the path of movement of the projecting end of the bobbin during the tilting of the tray the pins being so spaced that a tip end of a bobbin would pass between them but a base end would not. In operation if the tip end is the projecting end the bobbin is carried by the tray until the tray reaches its tilted position and the bobbin slides therefrom with its base end downwardly. On the other hand if the projecting end is the base end, as the tray tilts the base end contacts the pins and is held thereby and the bobbin is flipped from the tray to fall again with its base end downwardly.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Rudoll Herbert Haehnel West Lawn, Pa. [2|] Appl. No. 18,874 {22] Filed Mar. l2, I970 I451 Patented Sept. I4, 1971 I 7'! Announce North American Rockwell Corporation Pittsburgh, Pa.

[54] BOBBlN-ORIENTING APPARATUS 7 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs. I

[52] US. Cl 198/33 AD, 242/35.5 R [51] Int. Cl B65g 47/24 [50] Field of Search 198/33 AA, 33 AD; 193/43 R, 43 B, 43 C, 43 D; 242/35.5 R; 57/53;22l/160, 161, 171, 173

[56] Reterences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,276,566 10/1966 Raasch 198/33 AD 3,480,216 11/1969 lannucci et a1. 242/35.6 R 3,506,106 4/1970 Brouwer et al. 198/33 AA Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Alfred N. Goodman Attorneys-John R. Bronaugh, Floyd S. Levison and Dennis O'Connor ABSTRACT: Apparatus for rearranging bobbins as the bobbins are received from a spinning machine in a disoriented mass and delivering them to a bobbin preparatory unit or the like with their enlarged base ends first. The apparatus includes a tiltable tray to which the bobbins are delivered with their base ends pointed in either direction longitudinally of the tray but with one end of the bobbin projecting beyond one end of the tray, means for tilting the tray to elevate said one end thereof to a position in which a bobbin resting on the tray would slide therefrom, and a pair of pins positioned in the path of movement of the projecting end of the bobbin during the tilting of the tray the pins being so spaced that a tip end of a bobbin would pass between them but a base end would not. in operation if the tip end is the projecting end the bobbin is carried by the tray until the tray reaches its tilted position and the bobbin slides therefrom with its base end downwardly, On the other hand if the projecting end is the base end, as the tray tilts the base end contacts the pins and is held thereby and the bobbin is flipped from the tray to fall again with its base end downwardly.

PATENTEUSEPMISYI 3.604.553

SHEEI 2 [1F 2 Bobbins of the type employed in'yarn spinning operationscustoma'rilyshave a base endof enlarged dia'mete'rrelatively to the upper or tip end. The bobbins as they are removed or doffed"zfrom the spinning'frame are normally collected in a bobbin 'lbOX or other container the bobbins generally lying transversely of the box but disoriented with respect to their base ends, the latter pointing in either direction. In preparation forathe rewinding of the yarn of the bobbins into larger packages, as required for conversion of the yarn into fabric and particularly where the rewinding is to be performed by an automatic winder, a number of bobbin preparatory or readying steps are required such steps including the reorientation of many of the bobbins to insure that the base end of each bobbin is the leading end upon delivery of the bobbin to the magazine or other bobbin receiving means of the winder.

Heretofore attempts have been made to devise-apparatus whereby said bobbin-readying steps, including the reorientation of the bobbins as well as the finding and retention of the yarn ends, are performed automatically. In this connection reference is made to US. Pat. No. 2,675,971, issued Apr. 20, 1954 which discloses such apparatus including a pair of inclined rails supporting the bobbin ends. As the bobbins roll down the rails the larger base end, traveling a greater distance than the tip end upon each revolution, tends to roll off its rail first the bobbin then dropping down a chute with its base end leading. However such prior attempts to obtain automatic bobbin orientation have not achieved the necessary reliability or have otherwise failed to meet the requirements of the industry.

Also heretofore apparatus has been developed to perform the several bobbin readying or preparatory steps, with the exception of the bobbin-orienting step, automatically the latter step being performed manually. In this connection reference is SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of the present invention is the provision of mechanism of general applicability but which is particularly adapted to be positioned to receive a succession-of bobbins in a disoriented condition delivered by a conveyor of I the type disclosed in said US. Pat. No. 3,480,216 and to orient the bobbins prior to their deposit into the chute in such a manner that the bobbins slide down the chute base end first.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention which will become apparent hereinafter are attained by a bobbin-orienting or rearranging unit comprising a tray located between the delivery end of the conveyor and the chute and onto which each bobbin is delivered by the conveyor. The tray-is mounted for tilting between a substantially horizontal position and an inclined position at which a bobbin supported thereon would slide from the tray into the chute. Further the tray is so dimensioned and positioned that one end of a bobbin deposited thereon, whether it be the base or tip end, will project from that end of the tray which swings upwardly during the tilting of the tray. Suitable means such as a pair of pins are secured in fixed position in the path of movement of the projecting bobbinendduringthe'tilting action, the pins being spaced apart a distance to permit a tip end to pass therebetween but to obstruct thepassage of a base end. As a result upon the tilting of the tray'a'bobbin carried thereon which has its tip end constituting the projecting end will continue to tilt with the. tray until it slides therefrom down the chute with its base end first.

On the other hand if the projecting bobbin end is the base end the bobbin will be prevented from continuing to travel with the' tray and will be flipped into. an approximately vertical position and will then fall between the ends of the pins and the tilted tray with its base end downwardly into the chute.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is an elevational view of a portion of the bobbin pin, the conveyor for removing the bobbins therefrom and the chute for delivering bobbins to the servicing unit as disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,480,216 together with the bobbin-orienting mechanism of the instant invention interposed between the conveyor and the chute; 7

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view on an enlarged scale, and with parts broken away for purposes of illustration, of the apparatus of FIG. 1; u

FIGS. 3a to 30 inclusive are diagrammatic views illustrating steps in the operation of the apparatus of the invention when the base end of the bobbin projects in one direction from a supporting tray of the orienting mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the relative positioning of the bobbin base end as it moves from the position of FIG. 3a to that of FIG. 3b;

FIGS. 5a to 50 inclusive are diagrammatic views illustrating steps in the operation of the apparatus of theinvention when the tip end of the bobbin projects in one direction from a supporting tray of the orienting mechanism; and

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view'illustrating the relative posi- I DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2 an apparatus incorporating the instant invention includesa bobbin bin or hopper 10 of the type shown in said prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,216 and into which bobbins II, as they are received from the spinning machine, are deposited but in this instance without regard to the positioning of their base ends the latter in some instances lying adjacent one side of the bin and in other instances lying adjacent the opposite side. The apparatus also includes an inclined conveyor unit, such as shown in said US Pat. No. 3,480,216, defining a forward wall of the bin and comprising a continuous succession of buckets 12 carried by a pair of endless chains l3 (only one of such chains being shown in FIG. 1). The chains are mounted on; upper sprockets l4 and lower sprockets (not shown) the sprockets in turn being secured to an upper shaft 15 and a lower shaft (not shown) the shafts being mounted in suitable bearings in U-shaped frame members 16 and 17 the bases of which define fixed end walls for the conveyor unit. One of the shafts is rotated by suitable means (not shown) in timed rela-: tionship to the operation of the bobbin-readying unit whereby upon each cycle of operation of the latter the bobbin conveyor is advanced sufficiently to move one bucket thereof from a bobbin-retaining to somewhat past the bobbin-discharging or rearranging unit indicated generally at 22 is interposed.

between the bobbin-discharging end of the conveyor and chute 18. Unit 22 includes a tray 23 of a shallow troughlike cross section dimensioned to receive a bobbin and of a length 3 substantially less than that of a bobbin. The tray is fixed to a bracket or arm 24 which in turn is fixed to one end of an arm 25 of a two-armed lever 26. Lever 26 is supported for rocking movement on a headed pin or stud 27 secured to the front plate or cover member 21. The second arm 28 of lever 26 is pivotally connected by a hinge pin 30 to one end of a link 3I the opposite end of which is pivotally connected by a hinge pin 32 to one end of a lever arm 33 the other end of which is mounted for rocking movement on a pin 34 secured to an extension 35 of cover plate 21. An air cylinder 36 of conventional type and which is connected through a solenoid valve 37 to any suitable source of air or other fluid under pressure (not shown) as by a flexible conduit 38 has one end rockably mounted on plate 21 by a pin 40. The piston rod 41 of the air cylinder is pivotally connected as by a pin 42 to lever arm 33 at a location substantially spaced from pivot pin 34.

Hopper includes an adjustably mounted partition or wall 43 which is positioned in accordance with the length of the bobbins being handled whereby as the bobbins are elevated by the conveyor and brought to the discharge position they are confined between the wall 43 and the end wall defining base 44 of frame member 17. A projecting wall member 45 has an edge thereof secured in any suitable way to the outer flange of frame member 17. A plate 46 is secured to wall member 45 in any suitable way the plate having its inner face in the plane of the inner face of base 44 of frame member 17. Plate 46, which is positioned to lie in opposed relationship to the end of a bobbin received in tray 23, supports a pair of pins 47 located above the end of a bobbin in the tray and so positioned and spaced that the base end of a bobbin, upon the tilting of the tray in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2, will not pass between the pins but rather the pins will obstruct the further upward movement of such base end (see FIG. 4). On the other hand the spacing is such that if the tip end of the bobbin lies adjacent the pins 47 upon such upward tilting movement the tip end will pass freely between the pins (see FIG. 6).

A projecting end of conveyor shaft has a cam 48 affixed F thereto for rotation therewith. A microswitch 49 is secured to frame member 16 in a position to be closed by the lobes of the cam. The latter are so arranged on the cam that upon each advance of the conveyor to a stopped position, which is somewhat past the bobbin-discharging position, the switch will be closed. Switch 49 is included in an electrical circuit diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2 and which also includes solenoid valve 37 and a timer relay 50 of conventional type.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 3a to 30 inclusive and FIGS. 5a to Sc inclusive the operation of the bobbin orientor will be described. As pointed out in said US. Pat. No. 3,480,216 upon the completion of a cycle of operation of the readying unit shown in said patent the bobbin conveyor is advanced sufficiently to move a bucket thereof from a bobbinreadying position to a position somewhat past a bobbindischarging position. In the apparatus incorporating the present invention the conveyor is similarly advanced and the discharged bobbin falls into tray 23 during such advance the end of the bobbin adjacent pins 47 passing inwardly of and beneath the pins (see FIG. 1). Also upon the completion of the movement of the conveyor to its fully advanced position, the bobbin in the meantime having been deposited in tray 23, microswitch 49 is closed energizing the circuit including timer relay 50 and solenoid valve 37. Closing of the circuit opens valve 37 permitting the flow of fluid under pressure to air cylinder 36 whereby its piston rod 41 is advanced to cause rotation of lever arm 33 on its pivot 34 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 and, through the medium of link 31, rotation of lever 26 on its pivot pin 27 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 to swing or tilt tray 23 from the horiion tal position illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3a and 5a to the fully tilted position of FIGS. 30 and 5c. The timer of relay 50 is set to maintain valve 37 open until the piston of the air cylinder has completed its stroke and suitably for a short interval thereafter the relay then opening to cause closing of valve 37. Upon the, tilting movement of the tray as described above the end of the bobbin adjacent the pins 47 is elevated toward the pins. In the eventthe bobbin is positioned with its base end adjacent the pins then upon such tilting movement the base end will be brought into contact with the pins 47 as illustrated in FIGS. 3b and 4 and further upward movement of the bobbin end will be obstructed thereby. As the tray continues its tilting movement the bobbin will be rotated or flipped in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 30 to 30 and when the tray reaches its final position as viewed in FIG. 30 the bobbin will be permitted to drop downwardly base end first the bobbin falling into chute l8 to be delivered thereby to the elevator of the bobbin-readying apparatus. As will be understood tray 23 is so dimensioned and positioned relatively to the pins that as the tray reaches its fully tilted position there is sufficient space between the ends of the pins and the adjacent tray end as to permit the passage of a fully wound bobbin.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 5a to Sc and 6 in the event that the bobbin in the tray is positioned with its tip end adjacentthe pins then upon upward tilting movement of the tray the tip end will pass freely between the pins, as illustrated in FIG. 5b, and upon the tray reaching its fully or substantially its fully tilted position the bobbin will slide from the tray as illustrated in FIG. 50 again with its base end first into chute l8. Suitably a baffle or guide plate 52 is secured to a frame member 51 in position to be contacted by the base end of the falling bobbin and guide it into the chute. Also the end of the tray from which the bobbin slides is preferably cut away as illustrated at 53 to promote the early downward swinging movement of the bobbin.

As will be understood from the foregoing description the bobbins, as they are brought from the spinning machine, may be dumped into the hopper without regard to the arrangement of their base and tip ends. As each bobbin is discharged from the bobbin conveyor unit the device of the invention automatically performs the function of delivering the bobbin to the bobbin chute with the base end leading.

Having thus described the invention in rather complete detail it will be understood that these details need not be strictly adhered to, and that various changes and modifications may be made all falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Iclaim:

1. In an apparatus for orienting bobbins each having a base end of one diameter and a tip end of a diameter smaller than said one diameter the improvement comprising a tray for receiving a bobbin with an end of the bobbin projecting therefrom, means for tilting said tray in a direction to elevate said projecting bobbin end said tray moving from a substantially horizontal position to a fully tilted position in which a bobbin still carried by said tray will slide therefrom, and means in the path of movement of said projecting bobbin end during said tilting of said tray constructed and arranged to, if said projecting end is said base end, obstruct said projecting end whereby further movement of said tray rotates said bobbin into an approximately vertical position thereby removing the bobbin from said tray and permitting it to fall with said base end downwardly between said tray and said last-mentioned means and, if said projecting end is said tip end, permit said tip end to pass whereby said bobbin is retained in the tray until the tray approaches said fully elevated position and the bobbin slides therefrom.

2. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein there is a bobbin conveyor and means whereby a bobbin conveyed thereby is discharged into said tray.

3. In an apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein there is means operated by said conveyor to initiate operation of said tray-tilting means.

4. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means in the path of movement of said projecting bobbin end comprises members in fixed position and spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the tip end but lesser than the diameter of the base end of bobbins oriented thereby.

5. In an apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said spacedapart members comprise pins.

6. In an apparatus as defined in claim I wherein said means for tilting said tray comprises a pivotally mounted arm supporting said tray in fixed position with respect thereto and means for tilting said arm.

7. In the apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said tilting means comprises a piston-cylinder pneumatic unit and means operatively connecting the piston thereof with said arm. 

1. In an apparatus for orienting bobbins each having a base end of one diameter and a tip end of a diameter smaller than said one diameter the improvement comprising a tray for receiving a bobbin with an end of the bobbin projecting therefrom, means for tilting said tray in a direction to elevate said projecting bobbin end said tray moving from a substantially horizontal position to a fully tilted position in which a bobbin still carried by said tray will slide therefrom, and means in the path of movement of said projecting bobbin end during said tilting of said tray constructed and arranged to, if said projecting end is said base end, obstruct said projecting end whereby further movement of said tray rotates said bobbin into an approximately vertical position thereby removing the bobbin from said tray and permitting it to fall with said base end downwardly between said tray and said last-mentioned means and, if said projecting end is said tip end, permit said tip end to pass whereby said bobbin is retained in the tray until the tray approaches said fully elevated position and the bobbin slides therefrom.
 2. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein there is a bobbin conveyor and means whereby a bobbin conveyed thereby is discharged into said tray.
 3. In an apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein there is means operated by said conveyor to initiate operation of said tray-tilting means.
 4. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means in the path of movement of said projecting bobbin end comprises members in fixed position and spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the tip end but lesser than the diameter of the base end of bobbins oriented thereby.
 5. In an apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said spaced-apart members comprise pins.
 6. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for tilting said tray comprises a pivotally mounted arm supporting said tray in fixed position with respect thereto and means for tilting said arm.
 7. In the apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said tilting means comprises a piston-cylinder pneumatic unit and means operatively connecting the piston thereof with said arm. 